Umar Kremlev, President of the International Boxing Association (IBA), condemned the change of sports citizenship.
“It’s the same as giving up on your mother. For me this is pain. But our sports leaders are also to blame. They go to the Olympics to represent the country. Our officers need to be directly involved. And create an alternative for athletes so that they can really compete in valuable tournaments,” Kremlev quotes “Match TV”.
At the World Championships held in Tashkent, the Russian national team won six medals (two gold and four bronze) and placed third in the overall classification. Russian and Belarusian boxers competed under their own flags in the tournament.
At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on March 28, it was recommended that the Russians be allowed to have a neutral status, if the athletes were not actively engaged in supporting hostilities. Athletes representing law enforcement and armed forces will not be allowed to compete.
Cross-country skiing former Olympic champion Veronika Stepanova replied with irony Statement by the leaders of the G7 countries on Russian athletes.